New rules for lithium batteries on aircraft

Those of you flying out of the U.S. from January 1 should be aware that lithium batteries will not be allowed in checked baggage unless already installed in gadgets. The reason for the ban is because the Federal Aviation Commission has found the fire protection systems used in aircraft today cannot deal with a lithium battery fire.

Those of you needing to take such batteries with you separate from a gadget can place them inside a plastic bag and keep them in your carry on luggage, but you are only allowed to carry two.

Here are the new rules taken from SafeTravel.gov:

Spare batteries are the batteries you carry separately from the devices they power. When batteries are installed in a device, they are not considered spare batteries.

You may not pack a spare lithium battery in your checked baggage

You may bring spare lithium batteries with you in carry-on baggage

Even though we recommend carrying your devices with you in carry-on baggage as well, if you must bring one in checked baggage, you may check it with the batteries installed.

Here are the quantity limits imposed:

Under the new rules, you can bring batteries with up to 8-gram equivalent lithium content. All lithium ion batteries in cell phones are below 8 gram equivalent lithium content. Nearly all laptop computers also are below this quantity threshold.

You can also bring up to two spare batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, in addition to any batteries that fall below the 8-gram threshold. Examples of two types of lithium ion batteries with equivalent lithium content over 8 grams but below 25 are shown below.

For a lithium metal battery, whether installed in a device or carried as a spare, the limit on lithium content is 2 grams of lithium metal per battery.

Almost all consumer-type lithium metal batteries are below 2 grams of lithium metal. But if you are unsure, contact the manufacturer!

These rules seem quite complicated when you read them, but I think it simply comes down to making sure the batteries you carry are already installed in devices. The two spare battery limit seems a little obscure and would have been better specified as just a total lithium weight instead.

With lithium batteries being used in most gadgets nowadays, I assume the aircraft fire systems will have to be upgraded to cope with such a fire. There is always a chance, however unlikely, that a laptop could be turned on by accident and overheat, and this needs to be dealt with.

Speak Your Mind

http://ww.mmedsolution.com Ted

for shipping even by air cargo in a laptop there seems to be a specification – “spl” or a label “not restricted for air travel” on the battery which deals with IATA rules
Is there a list of such approved batteries or manufacturers ?